Gates: I'M IN MOSSEL BAY, SOUTH AFRICA,

GETTING MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK

TO SEE IF IT HAD A COMPETITIVE EDGE

OVER A MONSTER SHARK OF THE PAST -- THE MEGALODON.

WE'RE TOWING A SEAL DECOY TO ENTICE THESE SUPER PREDATORS

TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR AMBUSH ATTACK STRATEGY,

THE LIGHTNING-FAST AERIAL BREACH.

OKAY, SO...

Towner: OH!

OH! UNBELIEVABLE!

ROCKETING FROM THE DEPTHS TO SURPRISE THEIR PREY,

GREAT WHITES HAVE BEEN SEEN LEAPING 10 FEET IN THE AIR.

DID YOU GET IT? THAT ONE, I GOT.

BUT IF YOU'RE A SEAL, IT'S NOT SUCH A PRETTY PICTURE.

THE IMPACT OF A GREAT WHITE BREACH ATTACK

HAS BEEN MEASURED AT A FORCE OF NEARLY 30 Gs,

COMPARABLE TO BEING HIT BY A CAR.

OH. BREACH!

OH!

RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER!

OH, MY GOD!

THE BREACH ATTACK ALLOWS GREAT WHITES

TO SNEAK UP ON THEIR PREY

AND DELIVER A DEATH BLOW IN MERE SECONDS.

OH! BREACH!

OH, HO HO! OH!

THAT WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WATER.

♪♪

IT'S TERRIFYING, REALLY.

YOU REALIZE NOT JUST THE POWER THAT THEY HAVE,

BUT THE ACCURACY.

YEAH, THE GREAT WHITE IS AN AMBUSH HUNTER TO ITS CORE.

THAT'S ASTOUNDING.

OH, THERE'S A TOOTH. LOOK AT THAT!

UNBELIEVABLE!

THERE'S LITERALLY A TOOTH STUCK IN THE DECOY.

AND, LOOK AT THIS. THIS WHOLE CHUNK MISSING.

COULD THE MEG HAVE HUNTED LIKE THIS?

WHILE WE KNOW THAT THE SORT OF ADVANTAGE

THAT A WHITE SHARK HAS ON IT IS THAT IT IS SMALLER, IT'S AGILE,

AND IT'S ABLE TO ACCELERATE ON A DIME,

I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN AS EFFICIENT

AS WHITE SHARKS.

THE SHEER SIZE AND WEIGHT OF A MEG SUGGESTS

IT WAS NOT WELL-EQUIPPED TO AMBUSH ITS PREY.

AND EVEN IF IT COULD BREACH,

EXPENDING THAT MUCH ENERGY ON A SINGLE SEAL

MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WORTH IT.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE MEG HAD TO EAT

2,500 POUNDS OF FOOD A DAY --

THAT'S 10 FULL-GROWN CAPE FUR SEALS.

THE GREAT WHITE, ON THE OTHER HAND,

CAN SURVIVE ON JUST ONE SEAL A WEEK.

LET'S SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE.

WOW. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.